This invention relates to weight lifting equipment, and more particularly, to the devices and mechanisms by which weights are placed on and removed from weight lifting bars, and stored.
In the beginnings of weight lifting, barbells were provided with free weights which took the form of plates, and the barbells were lifted with the number of weight plates desired, while remaining plates were left scattered on the floor or in stacks. As weight training has become progressively more sophisticated, and issues of product performance and liability have intruded, weight training equipment has taken a variety of new forms. Universal gyms now exist, which provide multitudes of weight training stations with weights pulled from stacks by wires over pulleys. An example of one such structure is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,972 issued on Mar. 7, 1989 to Rasmussen et al. Another example is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,784,384 issued on Nov. 15, 1988 to Deola. Sophisticated devices dedicated to individual exercises and muscles have also come to exist. Examples are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,522 issued on Feb. 2, 1988 to Lundgren, U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,246 issued on Jun. 26, 1984 to Szabo, U.S. Pat. No. 4,730,828 issued on Mar. 15, 1988 to Lane, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,495 issued on Oct. 4, 1983 to Wilson.
A significant population of weight lifters have always preferred and continue to prefer free weights. Yet, as to free weights, issues of safety are often paramount. Concern for safety has resulted in inventions such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,595 issued on Mar. 10, 1987 to Selle, for safety platforms for a free weight bench press. Safety concerns often r around weight lifter handling of weights while the weights are detached from weight, equipment, while the weight lifters are moving the weights into and out of attachment for lifting. Such concerns resulted in the invention of U.S. Pat. No. 4,822,034 issued on Apr. 18, 1989 to Shields. In the barbell system of Shields, multiple weights are racked adjacent a bench press, and the bar used in the bench press is rolled into slots in the racked weights. Chosen weights are pinned to the bar, the bar is rolled back to weight lifting position, and weight lifting begins.
As evident from the multiple solutions of the prior art to safety concerns, safety has been for years and continues to be a goal not fully satisfied in the art. Further, safety concerns have resulted in compromises of the freedoms of free weights, and complicated structures which include weights incompatible with standard disc shaped free weights, as is true in U.S. Pat. No. 4,822,034 to Shields.
Also, in these times of the global marketplace, world-wide shipments of goods are to be expected, and are desired. Incompatibility of weights with standard free weights means that each weight lifting device with such incompatibility requires shipment of weights. Such shipments are inconsistent with global needs.